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Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

omgubuntu.co.uk

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Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#81

Post by crazygringo »

I'm very confused. This is the font that matches the Google branding, and that they started using as a UX font in Gmail, Docs, etc.

I hate it in UX because it's so "geometric" -- works well for a logo, but not body text, so it's just a bizarre choice for UX. Unlike Roboto which continues to be great for that. (Google Sans is fine as display text though -- headings, logo, etc.)

But my understanding was that Google wanted to differentiate its first-party apps from other Android apps with a proprietary Google font.

But now they're opening that font up for everyone to use, so Google's apps will no longer look uniquely Google-branded.

I'm so confused what the heck is going on over there in Mountain View.

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#82

Post by fooqux »

jorvi wrote: post #32
lucb1e wrote: post #9

Where possible, I've stopped picking fonts that don't distinguish lowercase l and uppercase I. Words virtually always have redundancy (or context in the sentence) and it's fine in 98% of cases, but too often someone sends a token, password, name, or other string where you need to copy it out to another application to see it and just... why? Why bother? I/O test for Sans Flex: https://snipboard.io/wXCQq5.jpg It passes…

Almost no fonts do this by default and instead offer it as context alternate, but I feel a font should always use a dashed or preferably dotted zero. Zero being slightly skinnier than capital O is not enough for rapid visual clarity.

I don't understand why we moved away from this. Is it simply aesthetics, or was there something else at play here?

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#83

Post by lucb1e »

virtue3 wrote: post #45
cloudflare728 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would someone spend years developing a front where you can't tell the difference between Il or 0O? Doesn't it hurt their ego at personal level?

they probably deem it as not important. "Context is all you need to tell the difference, keep the font clean"

Then they can also coalesce the digit 1 into uppercase i and lowercase L because who cares right it gotta look clean. And why bother deviating from the perfect circle? The future is lowercase o, also for zeroes. Heck, why do we have the letter J anyway? Couldn't we merge that with I? It's so rarely used, it sounds iust about the same, let's iust "keep it clean"

I really can't imagine this is the thinking

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#84

Post by lucb1e »

dialogbox wrote: post #70
lucb1e wrote: post #9

Where possible, I've stopped picking fonts that don't distinguish lowercase l and uppercase I. Words virtually always have redundancy (or context in the sentence) and it's fine in 98% of cases, but too often someone sends a token, password, name, or other string where you need to copy it out to another application to see it and just... why? Why bother? I/O test for Sans Flex: https://snipboard.io/wXCQq5.jpg It passes…

I also agree with you on the O0 I'll distinctions importance. So as google open-source it, someone can improved it freely.

It's not that level of open. You can't just do a pull request, not only because there's no infrastructure for it but because you also need to change the name. It becomes a different product.

> No Modified Version of the Font Software may use the Reserved Font Name

And if you are fine changing the name and releasing it as a separate font, you might as well just type "Ubuntu" and discover that this font already does what you want!

I really don't see the point of designing a font that is worse than what's already out there. What is Google trying to achieve here? Just another headline, giving something openly to the world, good brand publicity? Seems like an expensive way to do it so probably not, but then why

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#85

Post by [deleted] »

jorvi wrote: post #32
lucb1e wrote: post #9

Where possible, I've stopped picking fonts that don't distinguish lowercase l and uppercase I. Words virtually always have redundancy (or context in the sentence) and it's fine in 98% of cases, but too often someone sends a token, password, name, or other string where you need to copy it out to another application to see it and just... why? Why bother? I/O test for Sans Flex: https://snipboard.io/wXCQq5.jpg It passes…

Almost no fonts do this by default and instead offer it as context alternate, but I feel a font should always use a dashed or preferably dotted zero. Zero being slightly skinnier than capital O is not enough for rapid visual clarity.

[deleted]

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#86

Post by pdimitar »

ashton314 wrote: post #69
pdimitar wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like that family of fonts but ultimately couldn't live with how tall they are. I want to have 50-60 lines of code on my screen. With it I had 35-40.

I hear you: I don't like how skinny the letterforms are. There's an "extended" variant that I find much more pleasing. I put together a customization you can see here: https://codeberg.org/ashton314/iosevka-output (there's a nice screenshot on that page). You can probably get the proportions you want if you find a way to tweak the line spacing (also possible by adjusting the `leading` option in `private-build-plans.t…

Nice blend, thanks.

Ubuntu Mono remains undefeated for now for me though.

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#87

Post by lucb1e »

aucisson_masque wrote: post #64

Does it matter ? No really, I'm not trying to be edgy. Does the font we're using to read a document matters?? Last time I checked, scientist agreed that the best for an average user is the font you're used to. Serif, sans serif,.. didn't matter. Just keep using the one you always used. So I don't get why every so often, Google work on a new font. Pick one and stick to it, user don't care. Or am I missing something ?…

It makes a big difference for legibility which font you pick. But I see what you mean in that, if the font is "just fine" (not trying to be fancy or, say, in futuristic style for a game or something), then why bother making yet another "just fine" font as Google has done here? There's already so many sans-serif fonts that no person could tell apart if they don't see them directly side-by-side and are asked to spot the difference. For this reason, I also wonder why this release matters at all

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#88

Post by thaumasiotes »

amoshebb wrote: post #52
samoyy wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s just not a common enough feature of handwriting, I assume.

Yes, but even with my worst handwriting, in situations where I and l matters, I can always choose to do an especially I I or particularly l l even if most are indistinguishable which a font can not do

I can see how you'd do an especially I I. You just need to include the serifs, which I always do in handwriting anyway.

But how do you emphasize a lowercase 'l'? The only method I know is to make it cursive, which looks terrible.

(I don't really need to distinguish l from I, because I put serifs on I. But I do sometimes need to distinguish it from 1; in natural writing, 1 and l are identical.)

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#89

Post by thaumasiotes »

lucb1e wrote: post #9

Where possible, I've stopped picking fonts that don't distinguish lowercase l and uppercase I. Words virtually always have redundancy (or context in the sentence) and it's fine in 98% of cases, but too often someone sends a token, password, name, or other string where you need to copy it out to another application to see it and just... why? Why bother? I/O test for Sans Flex: https://snipboard.io/wXCQq5.jpg It passes…

> Words virtually always have redundancy (or context in the sentence) and it's fine in 98% of cases, but too often someone sends a token, password, name, or other string where you need to copy it out to another application to see it and just... why?

I think the right answer here is to avoid including 1/I/l/O/0 in your tokens. For example, I'm pretty sure that Nintendo gift card codes can't contain those characters?

Re: Google releases its new Google Sans Flex font as open source

#90

Post by mjmas »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #88
amoshebb wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but even with my worst handwriting, in situations where I and l matters, I can always choose to do an especially I I or particularly l l even if most are indistinguishable which a font can not do

I can see how you'd do an especially I I. You just need to include the serifs, which I always do in handwriting anyway. But how do you emphasize a lowercase 'l'? The only method I know is to make it cursive, which looks terrible. (I don't really need to distinguish l from I, because I put serifs on I. But I do sometimes need to distinguish it from 1; in natural writing, 1 and l are identical.)

You can generally just add a little rightward hook at the base. (Which is what the Ubuntu font above does)
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